{Not} Living Vicariously

Credit Reports

We did a Dave Ramsey FPU through my work last Spring and one of the objects of class is to get your credit report and check for errors. However, I get my annual one in August so had to wait to do so. Turns out I, like so many others, had errors on mine. None of them were what I consider to be Major Issues. There was at least one closed credit account on each that still showed open (one actually had four) so I've disputed those . . . which I should have done several years ago when I first closed the accounts and knew that they were still showing open. But I was lazy. Now I've put effort into action. However, I also had another error. In each case they had a wrong name attached to my report. When I got married, I dropped my parental given middle name and legally made my maiden name my middle name. Each of the credit bureaus shows my maiden name, my married name, and the erroneous first middle new last name. Two of them let me dispute that online as well - the third is making me call it in. I'm not sure if this is or could be an issue, however, if I'm going to all the trouble to have things made correct, I should follow up here as well.

The nice thing about all of this is that you can now dispute most of it online without mailing in paperwork or calling people. However, until the investigations are complete and I see the results, I'll hold judgment on whether or not this actually works. (In other words, I may still find myself going the paper route if I'm not satisfied with the results.)

It feels really good to have marked something off the to-do list this week. I should do this more often!

end of August thoughts

Just a couple of (wordy) bullet points this morning . . .

• Last weekend was spent turning 10 lbs of ground beef (among other things) into freezer food. I love having a stocked freezer! We tried something new in that we made our "spicy black beans" with pinto beans. Definitely yum. I do still have a few more things to make and stock, but they'll be easily done this weekend.
• Last week was also Sales Conference at work. Even though I'm not in Sales, I do work closely with many of our sales team so it was nice to see them. I had to do two presentations - one live, one via webinar. In both cases my peers were very complimentary. It is funny how I can do storytimes at the drop of a hat to 150 five year olds without blinking an eye. But ask me to talk to adults and I get all tongue-tied. Sigh.
• We have a tenant! The house that did not sell . . . rented in a matter of weeks. We have met her and she is such a sweetie. However, we are using a property management company for the day to day quirks of being a landlord. Something we did not want to do, yet these economic times made it necessary. September's rent has been received and the mortgage payment has been made. Yay!
• So today . . . today we plan on playing. There is a series of geocaches we have been wanting to attempt for some time now. After some morning chores are taken care of (drink coffee, eat breakfast, walk dog, go to farmer's market for peaches to make ice cream), we plan on a day trip of fun.
• Last of my thoughts this morning goes out to everyone along the Eastern Coast who are under threats of Irene. My brother recently took a job working up in Providence, RI. Not only that, but I am actively working with customers in New Jersey and publishers in Connecticut, Maryland, and New York. My heart goes out to all of them as well as the others I don't know. Waiting for whatever ends up coming is always the hardest part for me. You are in my prayers.

Valpolicella

One of the new wines I've tried recently is Valpolicella. As mentioned recently, I really enjoy reading Helen MacInnes novels and in North From Rome our main characters enjoy a glass with dinner . . . (and I quote):

She smiled suddenly, with relief. "Do you mind if it's simple? The larder didn't expect company. Eggs, cheese -- that sort of thing? And there's Valpolicella."

"Good," he said. "Hemingway characters always drink Valpolicella. Lets them get things straight." He managed a laugh. "I'll help with the omelette. Where's the kitchen?"

As many times as I've read this novel, I've never actually investigated the Valpolicella and for some reason looked it up this time. The website I linked to gives this great explanation of what the wine is and we enjoyed a bottle at home. And, I've discovered a new website that is full of great information on wine plus helps me decide what to try each time I step out of my little box of favorites. I know nothing about the website other than what I've read as I've poked around. I do know that I will be poking around quite a bit more going forward. Having enjoyed it as much as I do, I wanted to share it with any other interested parties. Welcome to http://wineintro.com/.

40 by 40 Update

I have this list I created about 6 months ago . . . and I decided it was time to take a good look at it. Here are some results (blue is done, green is changed):

1. Find geocaches in the eight states that border TN. We've already accomplished Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Kentucky. That just leaves Virginia . . .
2. Eat meatless 1+ times a week (preferably 2+ times regularly).
3. Take a ride in a hot air balloon.
4. Learn to make Granny's divinity.
5. Take a train trip somewhere.
6. Make my own cheese.
7. Hike one hundred miles.
8. Eat from my garden.
9. Camp out at least overnight. (Camping out was done in an RV - still would like to try tent camping before my deadline.)
10. Find a church home.
11. Organize garage.
12. Refresh the blog(s).
13. Find a cooking software I like.
14. Build a bigger back deck.
15. Find a place to swim again.
16. Go berry picking.
17. Add flex and strength to my cardio.
18. Get a new camera.
19. Plant wildflowers.
20. Put up a bat house.
21. Take Aaron to Clingman’s Dome.
22. Visit Fall Creek Falls.
23. Take Lindy to the ocean.
24. Take a class in something. (Class was work related - would still like to find something fun to take.)
25. Try five new foods.
26. Take a random road trip with no destination in mind.
27. Discover a new restaurant.
28. Make a margherita pizza from homemade dough, with homemade cheese and homemade sauce, and use fresh basil from our garden.
29. Climb a tree.
30. Visit the Nashville Zoo.
31. Go canoeing.
32. Plant a weeping willow. This will not be a weeping willow after much research on how they can affect water lines - it is now a smoke tree.
33. Make gelato. (While recipe claimed to be gelato - I found it to be more sorbet tasting - still looking for one to try at home.)
34. Get a hot stone massage.
35. De-clutter the office.
36. Get a craft corner set up.
37. Learn to use my miter saw.
38. Weed my book boxes.
39. Start a joint travel map.
40. See Rock City.

In some ways, it seems like I haven't accomplished much on the list. However, several of the remaining are in progress (hiking the 100 miles, de-cluttering the office) so my fingers are crossed that I'll have good reports going forward.

Nashville Adventure Science Center

Yesterday weather interferred with our original plans on how to spend the day so we finally did the GPS Adventures Maze at the Nashville Adventure Science Center. What a great place to spend some time, especially with young kids. Not having kids ourselves, we did not get to take full advantage of all that was offered however we did thoroughly enjoy the introduction they offered to one of our favorite hobbies: geocaching. While we didn't meet any of the other cachers while there, it was definitely a popular exhibit and I hope it will bring more people into the hobby. We also found the cache out on the grounds started in celebration of the exhibit: Not Your Home. Now if I'd only remembered to take some pictures . . .

Queen of Suspense - Helen MacInnes

With the addition of some new IKEA bookshelves in our living room, I've had great fun unpacking many of my book boxes. (Of course some of them were promptly repacked - twenty to be exact - due to still not having enough room for ALL the bookshelves I need.) We'll focus on the positive though. I was able to unpack my Helen MacInnes novels. Yes, I've read them many times and will probably read them several more over the course of my life. Not only do I love to read new stuff, I thoroughly enjoy rereading old favorites. It is just like slipping into a pair of worn out jeans, stretched in all the right places. For me, Helen MacInnes is just such a comfort. Her brand of espionage books, populated by civilians doing the right thing at the right time and for the right reason, inspire me to think about how I can live my life. Cheesy sounding I know. But there it is.

I am curious about her characters and how well-rounded they can be. I haven't actually researched how realistic any of it is. However her characters tend to be multi-lingual and very literate, quoting poetry at the drop of the hat. With her twenty-one titles spanning from 1939 to 1984, times definitely changed (and she did a good job of keeping up with societal changes as best as I can tell). Yet I do wonder how many Americans could travel through Europe and points East and be able to communicate in other languages even to the point of knowing poems in the native tongue. If they could, I feel cheated in my own education.

I've taken several things away from her novels over the years: everything from poems I now enjoy (although I still can't quote them and can only read them in the English translations) all the way to wines to try (such as Valpolicella). In some ways, I can't think of asking anything more from a novel.